CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A shooter killed a security guard in the lobby of New Hampshire’s state psychiatric hospital on Friday before being fatally shot by a state trooper, officials said.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. at New Hampshire Hospital and was contained to the front lobby of the 185-bed facility, State Police Col. Mark Hall said at a news conference. He said CPR was performed on the victim, who later died at Concord Hospital.
Authorities identified the victim Friday night as Bradley Haas, 63, a state Department of Safety security officer who was working at the front lobby entrance.
All patients at the psychiatric hospital were safe, and the state trooper who killed the shooter was not wounded, according to authorities.
“Investigators with the New Hampshire State Police have searched and cleared a suspicious box truck near the scene. They determined the truck poses no safety risk,” the statement from the attorney general’s office said.
Haas lived in Franklin, a small city about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Concord. He worked as a police officer for 28 years and rose to become police chief, according to a statement from the state attorney general’s office.
The Franklin Police Department mourned the death of the former chief, saying he dedicated decades to the city and police department before retiring in 2008.
“He continued to dedicate his time to the NH community by serving as a security officer helping and protecting those at the NH State Hospital,” the police department said on their Facebook page. “The FPD will honor his memory by flying our flags at half staff and wearing mourning bands in our badges.”
No further information was released about the shooter, a possible motive or other details of the attack. But authorities planned to provide an update on the investigation Saturday morning.
Friday’s shooting was the latest act of violence at a U.S. hospital. Medical centers nationwide have struggled to adapt to the growing threats, which have helped make health care one of the nation’s most violent fields.
It came weeks after 18 people were killed and 13 others injured in a mass shooting in neighboring Maine.
The hospital remained in operation but was closed to visitors Friday evening.
The facility is the only state-run psychiatric hospital for adults in New Hampshire. Located in the capital city, it is part of a large state office park that includes multiple state agencies and is near the city’s high school and district courthouse. The Department of Safety provides security for the hospital.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster called the shooting “horrifying.”
“Thank you to the State Police Officers who responded to the scene so quickly,” Kuster said in a statement. “My thoughts are with the victim, their family, and the Concord community.”
Other members of the state’s congressional delegation also released statements of support.
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AP reporter Holly Ramer contributed from Concord, New Hampshire. Reporters Patrick Whittle and David Sharp contributed from Portland, Maine.
